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San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

As Good As Grass editor:
One of the largest garden shows in the world. This is a great place to share your garden design and horticultural knowledge. You will be amazed by trees and plants of all shapes and sizes, all of which would look great with an astro turf lawn!

The 20th annual San Francisco Flower & Garden Show runs five days, from March 16 20, 2005 at the Cow Palace. Every year, tens of thousands of garden lovers, including hundreds of high-end horticulture professionals, flock to this show--one of the world's largest and most celebrated gardening events. On par with world famous garden shows, such as those in Chelsea, Hampton Court, Chaumont-sur-Loire, Philadelphia and the Pacific Northwest, the quality of the gardens, exhibits and seminars make this one of the top six garden shows in the world. One part botany and one part art gallery, the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show is where Californias top landscape designers and nurseries will showcase their creative talents. Twenty-three full-size gardens provide the centrepiece of this stunning annual event. This years vignette gardens will focus on ecological concepts such as water-wise gardening, permaculture, sustainability and gardening with native plants. The Marketplace features tantalizing offerings from more than 360 exhibitors the latest in garden tools, books, accessories, garden art and more. The internationally acclaimed Sunset Seminar Series and new Monrovia's Garden Shed will offer expert advice and free demonstrations. The Plant and Orchid Markets will have nearly 100,000 plants for sale. Special exhibits include a Container Show and Bonsai Show, as well as a large display from the California Garden Clubs Inc.

Created especially for the show, 23 full-size landscaped gardens will display the unbridled visions of the West's most sought-after garden gurus and acclaimed landscapers. This year, attendees will enjoy a modernist garden, a container garden for apartment living, a dry environment garden with cacti and succulents, several water features and more.

The internationally acclaimed Seminar Series, sponsored by Sunset and Monrovia will feature more than 35 complimentary seminars and workshops with the nation's top horticulture experts. Information will be presented on trees and plants in addition to the art of garden design. Attendees will find more than 40 educational booths explaining everything from lawn alternatives to how to keep bees, and 360 specially selected exhibitors demonstrating the newest and hottest items available on the market today, including dozens of new plants being introduced into the plant fanatics' world.

Six hotels are offering special San Francisco Flower & Garden Show rates and packages between March 15 and March 20, 2005. Room rates start as low as $75 per night, while packages including two full-day tickets begin at $119 per night. Additional nights may be discounted. All show-goers have to do is to request the Garden Show rate when booking their room. Participating hotels and more information are available on the shows website: www.gardenshow.com. Or, for more information about the show, call 800-829-9751.

WHEN: Wed., March 16, through Sat., March 19 the show is open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.
On Sun., March 20, the show is open from 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: The historic Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Avenue at Santos Street, San Francisco, has never looked or smelled so good! The only facility large enough in the Bay Area to accommodate the event, the Cow Palace is located between downtown San Francisco and San Francisco International Airport off Highway 101. Public transportation is encouraged via BART, Muni and SamTrans. Parking is $8/$15 per car at the Cow Palace.

TICKETS: The All Show Pass allows unlimited access to the show for all five days, $65.
Early Bird full-day tickets (available through March 8), $17. Full-day ticket (March 16-20), $20. Children (ages 4-11), $7. Full-day group tickets (20 or more tickets by arrangement), $16.
Half-day tickets are available at the door from 3 p.m. to closing each day, $13.
Purchase tickets at the door, at www.gardenshow.com, by phone 800/829-9751, and at local nurseries.

SPONSORS: The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show is sponsored by Alaska Airlines, The San Francisco Chronicle, American Soil & Stone Products, KitchenWorks of San Rafael, Sunset Magazine, Monrovia, www.sfgate.com and ABC7-TV.

SHOW PRODUCER: Founded in 1979, Salmon Bay Events is owned by Chairman Duane Kelly. In 1997, the company acquired the San Francisco Landscape Garden Show from the Friends of Recreation and Parks in San Francisco. Now the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show draws more than 50,000 people annually. The company also produces the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle and the Seattle Interior Show, which debuted in November 2002. The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show and the Seattle Interior Show benefit from the financial investment and show expertise provided by their partner, Universal Shows, Inc., of San Francisco.